BRANSON : SNAKES OF KANSAS. 361 



EUTAENIA Baird and Girard. 



Thamnoi^his Fitzinger, Syst. Rept., 1843, p. 558. 



Eutaenia Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., Pt. I, Serp,, 1853, p. 24. 



Eulaenia Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, 1886, p. 495. 



Scales keeled in from seventeen to twenty-three rows. Lo- 

 real one. Nasals two. Nine normal head-plates. Anal en- 

 tire. Subcaudals in two series. Temporals normally 1-2 

 (occ. 2-3 or 1-1). Head distinct. Body moderately stout to 

 very slender. Tail long. 



All Kansas species have one dorsal and two lateral stripes. 

 Usually two rows of spots between dorsal and lateral stripes. 



Eutaenix are the most abundant snakes in Kansas. They 

 occur in all parts of the state. Professor Cope ascribes their 

 abundance to their fecundity and their readiness to seek con- 

 cealment. Professor Baird mentions one specimen that pro- 

 duced eighty young at a birth. These snakes frequent the 

 water and live on frogs, small fish, etc. Some of the larger 

 snakes will bite viciously when captured. They often remain 

 in captivity for months without becoming tame. 



KEY TO KANSAS SPECIES. 



I. — Lateral stripe on third and fourth rows of scales; temporals 1-2. 



1. — Scales in nineteen rows; superior labials eight. Tail generally less 



than one-third the total length; body slender E. p7'oxima. 



2. — Scales in twenty-one rows; superior labials seven; tail usually less 



than one-fourth total length ; body stouter E. radix. 



II. — Lateral stripe on second and third rows of scales. 



1. — Superior labials eight (occ. seven) ; scales in twenty-one rows. 



E. elegans. 

 2. — Superior labials eight (occ. seven); scales in nineteen rows. 



E. sirfalis, 



Eutaenia proxima Say. 



Long's Garter Snake. 



Coluber proximus Say, Long's Exped. Rocky Mts., 1, 1823, p. 187. 

 Eutaenia proxima Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., Pt. I, Serp., 



1853, p. 25. 

 Eutaenia faireyi Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., Pt. I, Serp., 



1853, p. 25. 

 Eutaenia jiroxima Cope, Check list N. Amer. Batr. Rept., 1875, p. 40. 



Dorsal scales in nineteen rows, all keeled. Outer slightly 

 notched at tip, all other rows deeply notched. 



Frontal elongate, sides concave. Temporals 1-3. Orbitals 

 1-3. Superior labials eight, second, third, fourth, fifth and 



